MACEP Advocacy Report

Relative to legislation pending on Beacon Hill, MACEP has been a strong advocate for H.2381/S.1538, An Act Requiring Health Care Facilities to Develop and Implement Programs to Prevent Workplace Violence (M. Moran/Lewis).  These identical bills, initiated by the MHA, would require the Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop and monitor new statewide standards for evaluating and addressing known security risks in hospitals, including requirements for the development of a written violence prevention plan and in-house crisis response team.
 
Importantly H.2381/S.1538 includes penalty provisions for whoever knowingly and intentionally interferes with the conduct of a health care facility or commits aggravated interference with the conduct of a health care facility.  Other workplace violence bills pending on Beacon Hill do not include penalty provisions and, thus, are not supported by MACEP.